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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27721457">A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nikka001/pseuds/Nikka001'>Nikka001</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Law &amp; Order: SVU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Developing Relationship, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Gift Giving, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Jealousy, Mutual Pining, admission of feelings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:46:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,393</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27721457</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nikka001/pseuds/Nikka001</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes a picture is just a picture...and sometimes it's much, much, much more than that.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr./Amanda Rollins, Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson (Mentioned)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>92</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>How did Sonny get that picture on his desk? Did he put it there? Did Amanda? This is my take. Diverges a little at the end but that's okay with me. I hope you all enjoy!</p><p>-Annika</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>
  <span>Amanda watches from afar as Carisi chats enthusiastically with the older brunette woman standing in his office on the other side of his desk. Her grip on the wrapped gift in her hands tightens involuntarily when the woman laughs at something he says and reaches out her hand to touch him on the arm. They’re smiling and laughing with each other and Amanda has no idea why. As far as she knows, he’s not really that close yet with any of the other ADAs, let alone...</span>
  <em>
    <span>female ones. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She isn’t sure why it bothers her so much honestly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No. That’s a lie. Of course, she knows why. She’s just way too stubborn to admit it to him, let alone herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’s snapped out of her internal struggle by the sound of their voices carrying out into the hallway as the door to his office opens and they both step out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was really good to see you again, Dominick,” the woman smiles brightly at Sonny, her comfortable use of his first name catching Amanda off guard. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sonny returns the smile as he walks her towards the exit at the other end of the hall, Amanda still invisible to them from her hideout around the opposite corner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was really good to see you too, Sarah. It’s been too long.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sarah, stopping them just before the exit to pull Sonny in for a hug, laughs softly. “That it has. Please promise me you’ll think about coming tomorrow? I know you said you have a thing but if you can make room for me, we’d all really like you to be there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amanda steps out a bit further, her interest now peaked at the invitation that for some reason Sonny refused already. She wracks her brain trying to think of any reason why he’d say no and when one doesn’t come up, she listens intently to the rest of the conversation to try and decipher what’s going on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll tell you what,” Sonny says as they break apart and Sarah reaches over to push the door open, “when you have your goddaughter’s open house night at Daycare, then you can decide to skip it or not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sarah gives Sonny a tilt of the head before leaning forward and pressing her lips to his cheek in a kiss, her red lipstick leaving her mark on his skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really are too good for this world, Dominick Carisi Jr. I’ll see you later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See ya.” Letting her fully exit the building and waiting a few extra seconds longer before he shuts the door and locks it behind her, Sonny retreats back into his office and takes a seat at the chair behind his desk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amanda watches him curiously as he wipes the lipstick off his cheek with a kleenex, her mind still reeling from the fact that he’d remembered about Jesse’s Daycare night when she’d told him almost three weeks ago. Had he really been planning on going with them? She doesn’t know what to think honestly. The only thing to think about now is the seemingly heartfelt gift she’s been meaning to give him for a few days now. She’s had it for a while, something that she treasured every day while they worked together but now that he’s not around, she thought he might like to have it. It isn’t much really but it’s something at least. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking a deep and holding the gift close to her chest, Amanda sneaks around the corner, careful to not be seen yet, and walks quietly down the hallway until she reaches the door to his office. Stepping just inside, she knocks on the door frame, smiling when he looks up to see who it was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rollins, hey.” Sonny smiles up at her and waves her in to take the seat across from him. “What are you doing here? I thought you had plans with Liv?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gives him a one-shouldered shrug. “Yeah, well, you know how it is when Barba comes back into town. She ditched me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both laugh, Sonny, leaning back in his chair, the case files on his desk now forgotten, and Amanda drumming her fingers against the present in her lap. They lock eyes for a moment, both of them smiling but neither one quite sure where the conversation is headed. It isn’t until she sees his eyes darting down to the object in her lap that she realizes what should probably come next. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I uh, I know that this office is a bit cut off from everyone else,” she starts, her voice catching in her throat when his gaze meets hers again, “and I know it’s been a bit rough being so out of the loop, so I thought that maybe this could help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hesitates, now questioning the meaningful gift, but when he leans forward just a bit in his chair, it’s all she needs to get back on track. She holds the present out to him, her breath hitching when his fingers brush hers as he takes the package from her and sits back in his seat. Nerves wrack her body as she watches him carefully tear the wrapping paper from around the object and toss the crumpled paper in the trash can next to his desk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With the wrapping finally cleared away Sonny now has a clear view at what it is that Amanda decided to give him. She’s nervous when he doesn’t say anything. There’s no real indication as to what he thinks about it besides the way his lips part just slightly and the way his eyes widen when he sees the picture tucked inside the frame. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He moves one hand over and lets his fingers barely touch the glass before his head lifts and his eyes meet Amanda’s once again. “This is…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“From that day on the carousel, yeah. I thought you might like to have your own copy,” Amanda finishes his thought, her mouth faster than her brain and deciding for her what her response should be. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sonny smiles, drops his gaze back to the photo, and lets out a huff of laughter. “Uh, yeah. You thought right. Thank you, really, I” - he looks back up at her with a new light in his eyes - “I love it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The look in his eyes has her drawing a blank; her mouth goes dry, palms sweaty, and the knot in her chest growing tighter with every passing second of his eyes locked on her. She’s not sure what to say. She knows it’s not a confession of feelings for her, of course, she knows that. But still, the way he said it with that look in his eyes...she wonders. Maybe? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s really only one way to find out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you wanna go get dinner with me?” she blurts it out so suddenly that not only did it surprise him, but it surprised her as well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looks taken aback but smiles nonetheless. “I mean, I’d love to but I’ve got a few more files to finish looking over. It’ll take at least another couple of hours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can wait.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? What about Jesse?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amanda nods as she rises from her seat so she can pull it up to the side of his desk, leaving just enough space for her to sit down without her knees knocking against the wood. “Sienna’s watching her so it’s no problem. I can wait however long you need.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amanda,” he starts, setting the framed photo down on his desk and turning so he can better face Amanda, her body already turned towards him and her hand resting comfortably near his on the desk. “Are you sure you’re up for it? You might get tired or hungry and wanna call it quits early.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She notes the teasing look in the smirk on his lips and can’t help the smirk that creeps it’s way onto her lips as well. She takes her chance and leans forward to press her lips to his. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He reacts immediately, one hand snaking up to hold her by the waist and the other reaching up to cradle the back of her neck and draw her in closer. They move together until finally she pulls away and lets her forehead rest against his, both of them breathing heavily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Trust me,” she says with a growing grin, “I’m not going anywhere.” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Let me know what you guys think! How do you think he got the photo? Hmmm. Leave me your thoughts below! I love hearing from all of you!</p><p>-Annika</p></blockquote></div></div>
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